Movement off the Ball - The Quad Tris

George Lasher

For Active.com

This is a series of exercises based on a drill I have seen Ron Alber (Intense Soccer Academy) do with my daughter's team. It involves a lot of movement off the ball and is a good aerobic conditioning drill.

This series of exercise can progress from drills an Under 10 team could effectively do to ones that are appropriate for older ages, right through the high school years.

The drill depicted here is the fundamental Quad Tri.

In addition, it emphasizes the critical ability of being able to come back at the ball, control a pass, and switch the field.

It is called the Quad Tri because when you look at the finished diagram you will see four (4) (Quad ) triangles (Tri)

Set Up and Execution

Set up a rectangular field, 20 x 15 yards (larger or smaller dependent on the age and skill level of your team). This exercise can be done effectively with children as young as 9 years old. Initially play with a single ball and no defenders.

Initially, for the younger players, start the drill off statically, that is, with no movement of the players. This will illustrate the movement of the ball and the concept of the 4 triangles.

4 3

5

1 2

You need 5 players to illustrate, one at each corner and one in the middle. The player in the middle plays both ways, facing where the ball is coming from, switching the attack, then turning around and doing it again.

Ball movement is as follows:

- Player 1 plays a long pass to Player 2

- Player 2 diagonals the ball in the middle to Player 5

- Player 5 diagonals the ball out to Player 3

- Player 3 plays a long ball to Player 4

- Player 4 diagonals the ball to the center to Player 5 (whose has turned to face the direction the ball is coming from)

- Player 5 then diagonals the ball back to Player 1

Coaching Points:

? There is no pressure so the passes should be crisp and on target

? The player in the middle must play the ball into the space where he/she is going next with it. Ball should not stop dead at her feet

? Player in the middle must open up to the player to whom she is passing the ball.

? Corner players must also play the ball with the correct foot and play the ball towards where they are going next.

Now we're ready to put in player movement . As before, the first pass is down the long side of the field. Explain to your team that the first man passing the ball is a forward playing the ball the way she is facing back to a defender (or Mid)..

4 3

X

1 2

Player 1 then checks back on a diagonal to the center of the field and receives a pass back from the midfielder, Player 2. (Player 1 runs to the X), Player 2 runs to Player 3's line

Player 1 then quickly switches the point of attack by playing the ball on a slant to a second defender, in this case player 3. Player 1, who has checked, spins away from the pass and joins the line where Player #2 was.

Player #3 now has the ball and she plays the long ball to Player #4. Player 3 checks on a diagonal to the middle (X) and receives the pass back from Player 4.

Player 4 joins the Player1 line

Player 3 then switches the point of the attack playing the ball to a new Player standing at the "1" position. Player #3 joins the Player 4 line.

The sequence then re-starts

Coaching Points

? Heads up at all times. Know where you are going with the ball and where you are running in advance.

? Take ball open to the field at all times

? Prepare the ball for the next pass by playing outside of your footprints.

? Stress technical excellence, especially on the long passes since there is no pressure.

? Work this drill with at least 5 players so that there is always someone at each corner

? Work for 10 minutes at high intensity for good anaerobic/aerobic conditioning mix.

? Can make this more complicated by adding a second ball at the diagonally opposite corner Progression # 1 – Adding a Defender.

Add a line of defenders midway between the short side of the field as shown. Handicap them sufficiently so, to start, they cannot arrive at the midpoint of the field before the person checking back. The player checking back now has to shield the ball and play it more quickly under some pressure.

4 3

Defender >> X

1 2

Repeat from the opposite direction. Gradually remove the restriction and/or handicap so that it becomes more game-like.

A completely illustrated Quad Tri can be found at the following Website:

http://www.eteamz.com/youthsoccercoach/ ??? Under the Pass and Receive section

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